Time Traveling Uncomplicated
by Lexipexie08
Summary: This a series of one shots based on Time Traveling is Complicated. This series is composed of reader suggestions. If you have any ideas of anything you want to see please message me or comment.
1. Chapter 1

It had been two weeks after the Battle of New York as everyone was calling it. The city was recovering rapidly with federal aid and funds provided by Tony Stark. The billionaire had lived up to his self-described genius, billionaire playboy philanthropist personality.

Steve was still staying at the apartment SHIELD had provided him which had thankfully been spared from the destruction caused by the invasion. He was going over some of the files and briefing packets Natasha and Clint had dropped off earlier that day before heading out of town for some well deserved time off. Since he had decided to work with SHIELD and get back in the world Fury thought that it might be best to start teaching him about some of the history and pop culture he missed out on.

Tony had even pitched in by showing him how to use a Stark-phone so he could listen to some of the playlists he had set up for him. Each playlist was for each decade he had missed. There were the jazz songs Steve had heard before going off to war. There was some swing music from fifties, which he enjoyed very much. He could imagine Bucky would have tried teaching him how to dance to the fast paced songs. The sixties are where it all started changing. There were still a lot of jazz and blues but also what he identified as the start of the rock genre. There were some songs from the beach boys and the Who's but it wasn't until one particular song came open that the levy finally broke.

 _Hey Jude, don't make it bad  
Take a sad song and make it better  
Remember to let her into your heart  
Then you can start to make it better_

 _Hey Jude, don't be afraid  
You were made to go out and get her  
The minute you let her under your skin  
Then you begin to make it better_

This song came up out of nowhere. Nora had never told him where she had heard it from or what its name was but now that he paid attention it should have been obvious. Nora would hum it when she was doing chores around the apartment, she's sing it in the shower, and she'd sing it to him and Bucky when they woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare.

The tears were streaming down his face and for the first time since he had woken up in 2012 Steve mourned everything he had left behind. He cried for his team members who had gone on to live happy lives. He mourned the death of his friends who didn't make it. He mourned Bucky's death. He mourned the fact that he had left his soul mate alone in 1945 who now had never been born.

 _And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain_ _  
_ _Don't carry the world upon your shoulders_ _  
_ _For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool_ _  
_ _By making his world a little colder_ _  
_ _Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah_

He lost them all. He could have made it off that plane but he didn't want to. He didn't want to move on without Bucky. He loved Nora to death, he truly did but Bucky had been there from the very beginning, back when he was still the scrawny kid from Brooklyn that couldn't run away from a fight.

 _Hey Jude, don't let me down  
You have found her, now go and get her  
Remember to let her into your heart  
Then you can start to make it better_

He lost her. He pushed her away and now she was gone. He wanted to die and was going to leave her alone but things turned out the opposite. He was alone and there was nothing he could've done to save them.

"I'm so sorry baby." Steve sobbed. "I should've stayed."

 _So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin  
You're waiting for someone to perform with  
And don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do  
The movement you need is on your shoulder  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah yeah_

 _Hey Jude, don't make it bad  
Take a sad song and make it better  
Remember to let her under your skin  
Then you'll begin to make it  
Better better better better better better, oh_

 _Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude  
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude_


	2. Chapter 2

The asset had been unfrozen for an assignment. It had been the first time in almost a decade. He was to eliminate a senator that was the deciding vote for weather or not the United States would send soldiers to the Middle East. This particular senator was voting against Hydra's interest and that could not be permitted. The asset was brought out of his frozen slumber to take him out. The only problem was, the senator died of a heart attack before the asset got to him.

"Put him back in the chamber." Alexander Pierce ordered the scientist.

"Sir we can't do that. The asset has just been brought out of it if we put him back in so soon we could damage him or even kill him." The scientist argued.

"How long does he have to be out?" Pierce asked.

"At least forty-eight hours."

"Most of our agents have been reassigned to Europe or the Middle East. Looks like he can be of some use after all." Pierce said with a devious glint in his eye. "Soldat" He said bringing his attention back to the Winter Soldier.

"Готов к выполнению" _Ready to Comply._ The soldier answered

"Stark Industries has been hired by the army to provide all the weapons for the war. Tony Stark is presenting his newest missile. If he's anything like his father he probably has a safe full of plans for any projects he's working on. Intelligence says Stark has a secret getaway here in Dallas he goes to every once in a while. You're to go in and bring back any plans you find. You leave in an hour." Pierce said before walking out

An hour later the solder was dropped off on a back road near a forest. He made his way through the forest until he got to a field close to the house his handler had told him to break into. The property looked fairly normal and easy to break into. He found a window that was propped open. He slipped in and saw that the house was well taken care of. He guessed that all the bedrooms were upstairs and the best bet to look at the basement.

He found a door in a hallway leading to the kitchen. He opened it and saw that it led downstairs.

He quietly and softly padded down the stairs. The lab had been modified into a lab. He looked around and saw different scraps of metal and computers lying around. In the far end of the room there was a couch of some sort with a table in front of it.

The soldier started looking around the lab it wasn't until he caught sight of a set of brown wavy hair that he stopped. He couldn't leave any witnesses. Hydra could not afford any mistakes.

The girl was small; he could snap her neck like a twig in a second with his left hand. She wouldn't feel a thing.

He walked closer to her but she noticed he was there. She looked up from the telescope she was working on and looked up at him. He lifted his arm up to grab her but when her green eyes met his, his arm started shocking him but that wasn't what made him stop. Her eyes reminded him of something but he didn't know what. He tried clenching his fist but couldn't.

The girl got off her stool and walked over to another table and brought over a toolbox. The soldier couldn't move, he just stood there and watched her move around until she dragged a chair in front of him and patted the seat.

"Sit down and let me look at your arm. I can tell it's hurting you." The girl said.

He scrunched his eyebrows a voice in the back of his head echoed, 'Sit down Bucky, I need to stitch that up.' A woman's voice said.

"Come on, I don't bite and even if I did I have all of my shots." The girl said.

Why was she so familiar? He had never met any children, not that he remembered anyway. He glared at her confused but hesitantly sat down. The girl brought over a stool and got up so she could have a better view. She grabbed a screwdriver and tried getting the plates off. The soldier flinched when the screwdriver touched the arm. He thought back to when they last upgraded the arm and had to reattach the nerves.

 _"Hey Jude, don't make it bad_

 _Take a sad song and make it better_

 _Remember to let her into your heart_

 _Then you can start to make it better_

 _Hey Jude don't be afraid_

 _You were made to go out and get her_

 _The minute you let her under your skin_

 _Then you begin to make it better_

 _And anytime you feel the pain_

 _Hey Jude refrain_

 _Don't carry the world on your shoulders…"_

The girl sang and he couldn't help but relax. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He saw a girl with long brown hair and green eyes holding him as she ran her fingers through his hair and hummed the same melody.

He opened his eyes when she stopped singing and placed the plates back in place.

"How does it feel?" She asked him. The soldier moved his arm a bit and nodded. The arm no longer hurt him.

She smiled and said, "What's your name?" He couldn't answer that because he didn't know and he didn't have one according to his handler. He shook his head no.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

What was he doing there? His superior was expecting him to return with blueprints but there was nothing there. No safe, no secret weapons. Just a little girl with a toolbox. A girl that if his superiors knew had seen him they would eliminate.

He looked over at the table and saw the plans she had probably drawn. He pointed at them.

The girl looked confused but got out of her seat and went over to the table. She grabbed the blueprint and rolled them up before handing them to him.

She went back to her seat and went back to work. The soldier had to leave. He should leave but for some reason he stayed right where she was and watched her work. He was there for a few minutes before she started yawning and her eyes started closing. She was falling asleep.

That was his chance but instead he started seeing the same woman as before falling asleep in his and a blonde man's lap. He carried her to her bed and tucked her in. He hesitated before picking the young girl up and carrying her upstairs. He saw a door with a blue N that looked to be decorated by a child. He walked in the room and saw a bed and other toys and books. He gently put the girl down and tucked her in.

The soldier stood up and turned around until he heard the girl call out to him.

"Wait" She cried out.

The soldier turned around. "Can you stay until I fall asleep?" She asked. He walked back and sat down on the edge of the bed. They were both quiet until the yound girl broke the silence, "You have pretty eyes, you shouldn't glare so much or your face will stay like that and…"

The soldier needed to get back but if he left she'd make a fuss.

"Shh." He said as he rubbed his back. It felt strange but familiar. He started humming the melody to the song she sang earlier. The girl closed here eyes. "Thank you shadow." She mumbled before her breathing even out and she was in a deep sleep.

The Soldier left the house the same way he got in except this time he shut the window. He arrived at the base where his handler was waiting for him.

"Did you retrieve the blue prints?" He asked.

The soldier pulled out the blueprints from his pocket.

"This isn't a weapon." His handler said angrily. "Were there any other plans?"

The soldier shook his head no.

"What a waste of time." The agent muttered. "Doctor prep the soldier. Put him back in the chamber."

"Should we wipe him again?"

"No, that's a waste of time. He wasn't out long enough to remember anything." The handler said.

The two agents pulled the soldier into the exam room. The doctor looked him over before finally instructing the agents to put him in the chamber.

The soldier started shaking. He hated the cold. He closed his eyes and tried to remain calm. He thought back to the girl in the lab. The song she sung.

 _"Hey Jude don't make it bad_

 _take a sad song and make it better…"_

The same voice as before echoed in his head. Who is she? That was the last thing he thought of before he was frozen once more.


	3. Chapter 3

**What If...**

 **"** Director? Director Fury, do you copy?" Phil Coulson called out through the walker talkie. 

Nick Fury stared out into the distance where the god of mischief and one of his best agents had driven off to into the dead of night. "The Tesseract is with the hostile force. I have men down. Hill?" he asked.

 **"** A lot of men still under, don't know how many survivors." Maria answered.

 **"** Sound the general call. I want every living soul not working rescue looking for that brief case." Fury ordered 

**"** Roger that." Maria confirmed.

 **"** Coulson, get back to base. This is a LEVEL SEVEN. As of right now, we are at war." Fury notified

"What do we do?" Phil asked never having been under a situation such as the one they were in at the moment.

Fury paused for a moment deep in thought calculating his next move. There was no other way.

"Bring everyone in." Fury said.

"Everyone?" Phil asked. "Including…"

"Sir I would suggest reconsidering calling her in. She left very clear instructions not to be disturbed." Maria said sounding fearful.

"I don't care if she's on vacation. I want her brought in by whatever means necessary. Assemble all available strike teams to her last known location. They have authorization to use lethal force if necessary." Fury said.

 **Hours Later-**

Somewhere in an old, almost WWII-esque boxing gym, Steve Rogers worked out some of his pent up anxiety by throwing jabs at a punching bag. Every punch was him trying to push away the memories of everything and everyone he left behind.

 _There's not enough time! I gotta put her in the water!_ Steve shouted.

Steve's rage keeps building as he punches the bag. It gets harder... 

_"Steve please, don't do this. We can find another way." Nora cried._

Steve closes his eyes. Goes at the bag harder. 

_"Nora…this is my choice." Steve said._

 _"Please Steve, don't do this. Don't leave me alone." Nora begged._

Steve opens his eyes and fuckin' tears the bag as the last memory kicks in.

 _"It's okay Nora, you'll be okay. This was always supposed to happen. The three of us together to the end of the line. At least this way I can see him again. He won't have to wait alone." He said, his voice cracking at the end. "Maybe this time he'll have enough time to teach me how to dance before we meet again."_

Steve growls as he throws one last jab tearing the bag open, off its chain, spilling out the sand. He stands, breathing hard, trying to hold the tears back. He caught his breath before picking up another punching bag. He hooks the bag up and starts punching again as Fury walked in. 

**"** Trouble sleeping?" he asked already knowing the answer. 

**"** I slept for seventy years, sir. I think I've had my fill." Steve said unwrapping his hands. 

**"** Then you should be out, celebrating, seeing the world.

Steve put the bandages away before sitting down. "I went under, the world was at war, I wake up, they say we won. They didn't say what we lost." Steve said. 

**"** We've made some mistakes along the way. Some very recently." Nick said. 

**"** You here with a mission, sir?" Steve asked knowing this was a long time coming. 

**"** I am." He confirmed. 

**"** Trying to get me back in the world?" Steve said. 

**"** Trying to save it." he said handing Steve a file on the Tessaract and on what hydra was planning on using it for.

 **"** Hydra's secret weapon." Steve noted feeling the anger build up inside of him. 

**"** Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you. He thought what we think, the Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs." Fury explained. 

**"** Who took it from you?" Steve asked. 

**"** He's called Loki. He's not from around here. There's a lot we'll have to bring you up to speed on if you're in. The world has gotten even stranger than you already know." Fury said. 

**"** At this point, I doubt anything would surprise me." Steve said genuinely believing that. 

**"** Ten bucks says you're wrong. There's a debriefing package waiting for you back at your apartment." Steve turned and picked up a punching bag before walking out of the gym. **"** Is there anything you can tell us about the Tesseract that we ought to know now?" 

**"** You should have left it in the ocean." Steve said.

"Nora said the same thing." Nick said making Steve stop.

"You said…" Steve started.

"We were advised that dropping news like that so soon and abruptly would hinder your progress and should wait until you were better adjusted." Nick said.

"She's alive?" Steve asked.

"She is, she helped found SHIELD along with Peggy Carter and Howard Stark. She actually recruited me." Nick said. "I sent for her, hopefully she'll join us. We could use her help."

"I'll go pack a bag." Steve said walking out of the gym.

"I should warn you, she's not the same person you knew back in 1945." Nick said.

"I don't care. She's still soulmate." Steve said.

 **After Stuttgard-**

The guards escorted Loki through the halls of the hellicarrier. The guards surrounded him and kept their guns aimed at him as they moved. When they turned the corner another squadron of guards came in except all of them looked beaten and battered as they carried a young woman by her arms. Her cuffs looked even more reinforced than his but that wasn't what surprised him. He had seen her before. She turned to look at him and she stared right at him in passing before she was dragged away.

Meanwhile in the Hellicarrier control room…

After Loki was Interrogated Fury returned to the control room where the team he had assembled were already discussing what they had just learned and sharing intel. Maybe they did stand a chance.

 **"** Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you might join him." Fury said walking in. 

**"** Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon." Steve pointed out.

 **"** I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys." Fury said. 

**"** Monkeys? I do not understand." Thor said.

"I do! I understood that reference." Steve said proudly.

"Director Fury, package is secure and incoming." Hill said.

"Package?" Tony asked as a squadron of Agents armed to the teeth walked in still in formation.

"Oh boy." Natasha muttered taking in their battered appearance.

"Status report." Fury ordered.

"Package retrieved in Marrakesh at 0800 local time. Twenty agents were taken down and are currently being treated in Ansbach." They reported.

"Woah." Tony said.

"Stand down." Fury ordered. The agents hesitated before they put her down and moved out of the way so he could see her.

"You are not an easy person to find." Fury said.

"Nora." Tony said.

"That was the point." Nora answered with a glare. Her finger twitched and the cuffs and chains broke off. She lifted her arms, her hands glowing, and the two Strike leaders were thrown against the wall and lifted up by their necks, choking them in a Darth Vader like manner.

"Ah!" They choked and struggled against their invisible restraints.

"Nora!" Tony shouted at his daughter.

"You've ignored me for twenty years, you can do that for five more minutes Tony." Nora said not bothering to even look at him.

"Rumlow, Rollins, which one of you idiots pulled the trigger?" Nora asked as they continue to struggle.

"Nora. Let them go" Fury said raising his arm to stop everyone from trying to point their guns or trying to get close to her. The only one that hadn't reached for her weapon was Natasha.

"Please Nora." Steve said trying to reason with her.

"I'll get to you in a minute Spangles." Nora said.

"Nora, I gave the order to bring you in by whatever means necessary." Fury said.

"I don't ask for much Nick. I do my job, I clean up your messes and keep this place running and even put up with that useless council. I haven't taken a single sick day since the day SHIELD was founded. So when I decide to take a vacation for the first time in twenty years I expect you to lose my number until I get back!" She shouted making the hellicarrier shake.

"The Tessaract's been stolen." Nick said and just like that she let Rumlow and Rollins fall to the ground.

"What?" She said turning to look at him. "I fucking told Howard to leave that thing in the ocean. Ah." She said shaking her head and wincing in pain. "Who took it?" She asked pinching her eyebrows together.

"My brother Loki." Thor said.

"We have him in a cell." Natasha said.

"So go get him to talk." Nora said.

"I was already on my way." Natasha said walking away stepping over Rumlow and Rollins who were still trying to catch their breaths.

"Why is my daughter here?" Tony demanded glaring at Fury.

"Daughter?" Everyone said surprised.

"Only when he remembers." Nora added walking to the computers and getting into the system to see what intel they had.

"Nora, Wha… how?" Steve said.

"Wait how do you two know each other?" Tony said surprised.

"She's my soulmate." Steve said.

Tony was quiet before he started laughing. "Oh, that's a good one Cap but there's one tiny problem with that. My daughter doesn't have any soulma…" he started before Nora pulled up her sleeves and held up both of her wrists for her father to see leaving him speechless.

"Are you done gaping like a fish so you can get to work?" Nora said.

"Doll, why are you acting like this?" Steve asked.

"Wow, that freezer burn must've killed a lot of your brain cells. Seventy years later and you still can't tell." Nora said.

"What are you…" Steve started before Nora made her eyes glow bright green making Steve's face pale. "You're the time stone."

"Time Stone?" Tony asked confused.

"Aya is actually my name.." Aya said with a smirk.

"What the hell is going on? You're not my daughter?" Tony asked.

"Yes and No. It's her body." Aya said. "I've been inside of her since Geneva."

"That… that was two years ago." Tony said.

"For you. For Nora and I it's been sixty-eight years. Time is a matter of perspective. Them all the jumping through time does make it hard to keep track." Aya said.

"No, no that's not possible. You can't be Nora. I talked to her yesterday and she was alright. She was normal." Tony said.

"2012 Nora does live with me. She's such a pain. So whiney and annoying. The Nora I'm in is from 2016. I took her back to 1950 to each her a lesson and well… she didn't take it to well." Aya said.

"What does that mean?" Steve asked worried.

"She needed to understand that death is a part of life. That sometimes there is no other way around it and that hard choices have to be made. She learned her lesson in Ferrdows but the guilt… it broke her and I took over. That was over thirty years ago. I've been behind the wheel since then." Aya said. "I have to say she held out a lot longer than I thought she would. All of my old hosts broke down after the fifth time jump or earlier. I thought watching this one kamikaze into the ocean or even watching Bucky fall would have done it but no. She held out for thirty years. You should be proud." She told Tony who looked furious.

"You mean to tell me the Nora that recruited me is dead?" Fury asked.

"Oh she's very much still alive. Hasn't shut up the entire time we've been here. She's begging to be let out and hug this one." Aya said waving towards Steve. "But I like being in control after billions of years having to banter and coerce mortals into doing something it's nice to be in charge."

"I want to talk to my daughter." Tony said. "Now!"

"Then you should call her before she gets on that plane and hope she answers." Aya said.

"Plane? What plane?" Tony asked.

"Where is she going?!" Steve demanded.

"Spoilers. This is your last chance, if not you're going to have to wait six very long months." Aya said.

"Why Six months? Where is she going?!" Tony yelled.

"Clock's ticking." Aya said. "If you find the Tessaract I might tell you where she is."

To Be Continued?

 **…Aya didn't send Nora back to her time after Ferrdows. Instead her decision that day finally broke her will and Aya took over.**


	4. Chapter 4

**What If… Part Two**

Tony pulled out his phone without taking his eyes off of Aya. "Jarvis call Nora now."

"Of course sir." Jarvis answered before dialing. The phone rang a few times before Nora's voice came on the phone.

"Hey." It said.

"Kid where the hell…" Tony started.

"Gotcha, I'm probably busy so you know what to do." Her recording said before there was a beep.

"Phone must be on Airplane mode." Aya taunted.

"Where is she?" Tony growled.

 _"Aya let me talk to him!" Nora cried out making Aya wince a bit._

"Find the tesseract and we'll talk." Aya said.

 _"Be quiet and let me work." Aya thought._

 _"I can calm him down. He needs to know I'm okay." Nora said. "I'm all he's got Aya."_

"If anything happens to her…" Tony started.

"Your Nora is nineteen, the one I'm in right now is twenty three. That's the best guarantee you'll ever get in regards to her safety." Aya said. "Now get to it."

 _"Happy?" Aya said rolling her eyes._

Tony glared at her before walking out.

"What happened to her… after…" Steve asked.

 _"Oh sweetheart. Don't go there." Nora muttered._

 _"Can you stop with the commentary? They can't hear you and I don't care, you're giving me a bigger migraine than the one I already have." Aya groaned rubbing circles on her temples._

"I have more important things to deal with than your love life." Aya said. "Go make yourself useful and make sure Howard Jr stays on task."

"Can you tell her I love her and that I'm going to get her back?" Steve asked.

 _"Steve… He's been through enough as is. I just want to hug him and tell him its all going to be okay." Nora cried._

"You make me want to hurl." Aya deadpanned at both of them before walking away. She approached Fury and Maria but paused when she saw one of the technical support agents that was supposed to be running facial recognition for Barton or Selvig play Galaga instead. "Hey dumbass if you're going to slack off at work make sure it's a game you're actually good at."

"I…." He started. "Sorry!" He cried.

"That the interrogation?" Aya asked looking at the screen.

"It is." Fury said eyeing her suspiciously. "Are you done tormenting my agents?"

"Considering it makes them more productive you should be thanking me." Aya said. "I'm heading down to my office if you need me."

"Is there anything we should know about the tessaract or the scepter you may have forgotten to mention?" Fury said.

"Scepter?" Aya asked.

"The one Loki used to brainwash Barton and Selvig into doing his bidding?" Nick said.

"Where is it?" Aya said.

"In the lab. Banner and Stark are…" He started but she had already teleported.

Aya appeared in the middle of an argument. One that brought back memories of the 1940's.

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny. No offence, Doc." Steve said.

"The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree." Aya said as she walked into the lab and started reading what the two of them had on their monitors. "The first and only time Howard tried to trigger a time jump I turned Nora into a toddler to teach him a lesson."

"Nora never met Howard." Tony said.

"She did." Steve and Aya answered at the same time as her eyes landed on the scepter and she grimaced.

"Elian." Aya muttered.

 _"Elian, Your brother?" Nora asked making Aya's eye widen in shock._

"How did you…" Aya whispered completely ignoring the conversation happening in the room.

"She was his wingman." Steve said.

"What do you have on the tessaract?" Aya said not taking her eyes off the scepter.

"We're still looking. The gamma signature…" Bruce started.

"It's unique signature is the key to the tracking algorithm you're going to use the spectrometers to trace." Aya said.

"Since when do you have a degree in Thermonuclear astrophysics?" Tony said.

"I don't Nora's rambling." Aya said rubbing her temples"Uh she won't shut up."

"Then let her out. We can use all the help we can get and like you said the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. My kid's a genius." Tony said.

Aya glared at him before walking over to the table getting close to the scepter making it glow.

"He does have a point Aya. I can help. All hands on deck situation remember." Nora said appearing in front of them.

"Nora?" Steve asked.

"Wait you can see me?" She asked.

"Hey, unique gamma signature." Aya said keeping her on task.

"Well it's similar to the time stone's energy signature. The only difference is that the tessaract works on a different frequency but it's nearly identical to Aya's…" Nora started before she disappeared. Aya walked over to the computer inputted some data before bringing up the file.

"Howard's readings and the data collected should give you something to start with." Aya said before teleporting away.

 _"You let me talk to them." Nora said._

 _"Don't get used to it. That thing makes it hard to focus. That constant buzzing in my ears." Aya groaned._

"That was her." Steve said. "That was actually Nora."

"Yeah it was, and thanks to that slip up, I just got a way into Shield's encrypted server. That was faster than Jarvis." Tony said looking through it.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked. "You're supposed to be looking for the Tessaract."

"With the data Nora gave us we have everything need. The spectrometer's will do the rest." Bruce said.

"Then why are you looking through confidential files?" Steve asked.

"Because he kept Nora a secret." Tony said. "That thing has been parading around as my daughter for almost seventy years and he didn't say a damn thing. You really think he didn't have an inkling that something was wrong?"

"You think there's more?" Steve asked.

"Don't you? Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables." Tony said.

"You think Fury's hiding something?" Steve asked.

"He's a spy. Captain, he's "the" spy. His secrets have secrets. It's bugging him, too. Isn't it?" Tony asked Bruce.

"Uhhhh, I just want to finish my work here, and..." bruce started.

"Doctor?" Steve asked.

"A warm light for all mankind." Loki's jab at Fury about the Cube." Bruce said.

"I heard it." Steve confirmed.

"I think that was meant for you." He told Tony. "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news."

"The Stark Tower? That big, ugly building in New York?" Steve asked.

"It's powered by an arc reactor, a self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for, what, a year?" Bruce asked.

"It's just the prototype. I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now. That's what he's getting at." Tony elaborated.

"So, why didn't S.H.I.E.L.D. Bring him in on the Tesseract project? What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?" bruce asked.

"When he stopped by to recruit me he mentioned they thought that the Tessaract was the key to unlimited energy." Steve said.

"Why would an intelligence agency be trying to solve the world's energy crisis, my bet is they have something big they need to power." Tony said. "the question is what."

"I think Loki's trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war and if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have orders. We should follow them." Steve said.

"Following's not really my style." Tony said.

"And you're all about style, aren't you?" Steve retorted.

"Of the people in this room, which one is, A, wearing a spangly outfit, and, B, not of use?" Tony answered.

"Steve, tell me none of this smells a little funky to you." Bruce asked.

"Just find the Cube. If not for Fury then for Nora." Steve said storming off.


	5. Chapter 5

**What If… Part Three**

 _"Why are you doing all of this?"_ Nora asked.

"Because the world's at stake." Aya said.

 _"Not that, this taking control. You used to pride yourself on the fact that you didn't interfere, that you didn't play god in mortal matters but here you are taking control."_ Nora said.

"Maybe I got tired of watching pathetic hosts never learning their lessons. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. You all aren't going to change so it was time I changed tactics." Aya said switching the computer to lock into the feed of Loki's cell.

"There's not many people who can sneak up on me." Loki said.

"But you figured I'd come." Natasha said.

"After." Loki said and Natasha gave him a questioning glance. "After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate."

"I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton." Natasha asked.

"I would say I've expanded his mind." Loki said.

 _"What did Elian do exactly?" Nora asked._

 _"Altered his perceptions. He brought back the assassin for hire Barton used to be before Shield hired him. The side of him that's less snarky and more compliant, more easily manipulated." Aya answered._

 _"Is there a way to bring him back?" Nora asked._

 _"That's not your problem." Aya said._

"And once you've won, once you're king of the mountain, what happens to his mind?" Natasha asked.

"Is this love, Agent Romanoff?" Loki asked.

"Love is for children. I owe him a debt." Natasha said plainly.

"Tell me." Loki said appearing curious as to what she was referring to.

"Before I worked for S.H.I.E.L. D... I... Well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call." Natasha explained.

"And what will you do if I vow to spare him?" Loki asked.

"Not let you out." Natasha answered.

"No, but I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man." Loki said.

"Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that. I'm Russian. Or I was." Natasha said.

"And what are you now?" Loki taunted.

"It's really not that complicated. I got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out." Natasha said.

"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? DRAKOV'S daughter? SÃO PAULO? The HOSPITAL FIRE? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer... PATHETIC!" Loki shouted. "You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away! I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you! Slowly. Intimately. In every way he knows you fear! And when he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!"

"You're a monster." Natasha cried.

"Oh, no. You brought the monsters." Loki said.

"So, Banner and Nora. That's your play." Natasha said showing that it was all an act.

"What?" Loki said surprised at the quick turn of events.

"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab and get Nora there too. I'm on my way. Send Thor as well. Thank you for your cooperation." Natasha said.

 _"Are you a threat?" Nora asked Aya._

 _"If after all these years you don;t know the answer to that then you don't know me at all." Aya said._

 _"I know that when it comes to them you're unpredictable." Nora answered._

 _"Shut up and let me think." Aya said teleporting to the lab._

"What do you have?" Aya asked as she appeared making Tony and Bruce jump in surprise.

"What are you doing, Mr. Stark?" Fury said as he stormed in making aya groan at being interrupted.

"Uh- kind of been wondering the same thing about you." Tony said typing something into his phone.

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract." Fury said.

"We are, the model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile." Bruce said making Aya nod.

"And you'll get your cube back, no muss, no fuss. What is Phase Two?" Tony asked making Aya groan and rub her temples.

 _"You were going to let him build Hydra weapons!" Nora yelled._

"Means to an end." Aya growled.

Steve walked in and slammed a large HYDRA gun on the table. "Phase Two is SHIELD used the Cube to make weapons." Steve answered. "Sorry, computer was moving a little slow for me."

"Rogers, we gathered everything to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're-" Fury started.

"I'm sorry, Nick." Tony said interrupting his rant before turning the computer screen towards him. "What were you lying about?"

"I was wrong, Director. The world hasn't changed a bit." Steve said.

 _"I can't believe you. What happened to mortals should not meddle with things they don't understand?" Nora asked._

"Be quiet." Aya mumbled rubbing her temples.

"Did you know about this?" Bruce asked.

"You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?" Natasha

asked making Bruce laugh.

"I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed." Bruce retorted.

"Loki's manipulating you." Natasha said.

"And you've been doing what exactly?" Bruce retorted.

"You didn't come here because I bat eyelashes at you." Natasha asked.

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy." Bruce said. "I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction.

"Because of them." Fury said looking towards Aya and Thor.

"Me?" Thor and Aya said at the same time.

"For the past seventy years you have been walking around terrorizing anyone that comes into contact with you. Some of those people are very powerful and started asking what would happen if one day you would just lose it and turn against the world you're supposedly helping to protect." Fury said.

 _"Took them long enough to do something about it." Nora said._

 _"You do realize that as long as I'm inside you any threat to me is also a threat to you." Aya said._

 _"Well I guess I'll see you in hell." Nora retorted._

"And then last year earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly- hilariously, out-gunned." Fury said.

"My people want nothing but peace your planet." Thor said.

"But you're not the only people out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled." Fury said.

"Like you controlled the cube!" Steve shouted.

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is the signal to all the realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war." Thor said.

"A higher form?!" Steve asked.

"Think Hydra weapons that don't need a Tessaract to power them. Being able to destroy entire planets with one blast. Wiping out half the universe with a single snap of their fingers." Aya explained.

"You forced our hand! We had to come up with some-" Fury started.

"Nuclear deterrent! 'Cause that always calms everything right down. Everyone becomes hostile and begin cutting each other off." Tony exclaimed.

"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?" Fury retorted.

"I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck deep-" Steve started as the scepter started glowing without anyone noticing.

"Whoa, kamikaze watch it." Nora said appearing.

"Nora butt out!" Aya said making her disappear again.

"Wait-Wait! Hold on! How is this now about me?" Tony asked.

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?" Steve retorted.

"I thought humans were more evolved this." Thor said.

"Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury spat out.

 _"Aya let me out!" Nora shouted._

 _"You're not going anywhere. I'm in control." Aya whispered as chaos erupted all around her._

 _"This is what you call control? Everything around you is falling apart." Nora said._

 _"You don't know what you're talking about." Aya said._

 _"Don't I? Look around." Nora said._

"That's enough." Aya said wincing in pain.

 _"No it's not, you can't have it both ways. You interfered and made a mess but you're just standing around doing nothing now. Get in there and stop them before…" Nora said._

"I said SHUT UP!" Aya screamed making the room shake and everyone quiet down.

"You need to step away." Fury said.

"I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be." Aya said thinking he was talking about her.

"Why shouldn't they guy let off a steam?" Tony said.

"You know damn well why! Back off!" Steve ordered.

"Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me." Tony rebuffed.

"Yeah, big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?" Steve asked.

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." Tony answered plainly.

 _"And father." Nora added sadly._

"I know guys with none of that worth of you. I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you." Steve said.

"I think I would just cut the wire." Tony said.

"Always a way out. You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero." Steve said.

"And you are?" Aya said.

 _"What is your problem with Steve?" Nora asked._

 _"I hate his superiority complex." Aya answered plainly._

"A hero, like you? You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle." Tony said.

"Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds." Steve taunted.

"You people are so petty, and tiny." Thor said.

"And what are you with the hammer?" Aya reminded him.

"Yeah, this is a team." Bruce said sarcastically.

"Agent Romanoff, would you escort. Banner back to his-" Fury started.

"WHERE? YOU RENTED MY ROOM!" Bruce yelled.

"The cell was just-" Fury started before he was interrupted again.

"IN CASE YOU NEEDED TO KILL ME. BUT CAN'T, I KNOW, I TRIED!" bruce screamed making everyone including Nora shut up. "I got low. I didn't see an end so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out. So I moved on, I focused on helping other people. I was good until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk. You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?"

"Fury and Natasha reached for their guns while Aya focused her energy getting ready to blast Bruce if he turned green.

"Doctor Banner, put down the scepter." Steve asked calmly.

Bruce looked down, surprised, to see the spear in his hand. The monitor started making a noise, signaling the Tesseract has been located. Bruce put the scepter back on the table and walked over to the screen on the other side of the room.

"Got it!" Fury said.

"Sorry, kids. You don't get to see my party trick after all." Bruce said.

"Located the Tesseract?" Thor asked.

"Look, all of us-" Steve started.

"I can get there faster." Tony said.

"This is no matter for mortals." Aya said.

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard, no human is a match for it." Thor said.

"You're not going alone!" Steve shouted as he tried to grab Tony to stop him. Tony smacked his hand away.

"You gonna stop me?" Tony said goading Steve.

"Put on the suit, let's find out!" Steve said falling for it.

"I'm not afraid to hit an old man." Tony said.

"Put on the suit." Steve said through his teeth.

"Oh-my-god." Bruce said as an explosion rocked the ship making everyone fall in different directions. Aya fell alongside Fury and Thor behind one of the lab tables.

"The ship's falling." Aya noted.

"Engines are failing." Hill said over the coms.

"Stark, you copy that?" Fury said.

"I'm on it." Tony answered.

"Loki!" Thor said.

"Go." Aya and Fury said. Thor ran off to his brother's cell.

"We should go to the bridge." Fury said.

"Go." Aya said looking towards the table where the Scepter was before looking around the room to look for it.

"What about you?" Fury said but Aya had already teleported away.

Aya teleported down to the room below and saw nothing but heard a loud growl.

 _"You hear that?" Nora said._

"I don't have time for this." Aya said.

 _'The ship is falling and it's currently over the ocean. The hulk going on the rampage is going to make the hellicarrier the second Titanic." Nora said._

 _"You're father's already on it. Now shut up and let me focus." Aya said looking at all the outcomes to their current predicament. All of them led the scepter to the same place._

"Loki." Aya said before teleporting to the cell.

The first thing she saw was Thor diving in head first towards an illusion of Loki.

"No!" Aya shouted but it was too late. Thor was in the cell and Loki quickly shut the door, locking him in.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?" Loki taunted.

"Let him out." Aya growled.

"Ah, I always wondered why Odin allowed a mortal child to set foot on Asgard. I see know it wasn't Nora he granted citizenship to but the thing inside of her." Loki said. "The Time Stone."

"The Allfather never does anything without a reason." Aya said slowly circling him.

Thor hit the cage with his hammer, the cage cracks but it begins to shake off the bolts and shudders making Loki chuckle.

"The humans think us immortal. Shall we test that?" Loki said buy aya blasted him pushing him against the wall-making fall to the ground. Aya shot at him again but he made the scepter appear and deflected the blast.

Aya moves closer forming a giant orb of pure energy. "Give me the scepter and I may spare you." Aya said walking closer leaving her wide open for Loki to trip her. He moved to stab her with the scepter but Aya quickly put up a force field and when the scepter touched it got stuck.

"Move away please." Phil said walking in with a Phase two weapon aimed at Loki. Loki pulled the scepter back and slowly moved back with a smirk on his face. Aya quickly got up.

"Do you like this? We started on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does. Do you wanna find out?" Phil taunted.

Coulson prepared to fire the weapon when Loki disappears, reappearing behind him but Aya quickly put up another force field around Phil. Loki expecting that quickly spun around and fired a beam from the scepter right at Aya leaving her unaffected.

"Missed me." Aya said.

"Who said I was aiming for you?" Loki said looking behind her. Aya turned around when she heard a groan.

"Uh." Nora groaned sitting up against the wall.

"Nora?" Aya said confused, distracting her long enough to make her drop the Shield and letting him stab Phil right through his chest. Phil screamed in pain before falling.

"NO!" Thor shouted.

"Shit!" Nora said realizing what had happened.

Loki quickly returned to the panel, opening the chute and pressing the button, which sent the cell, and Thor inside of it crashing down to the Earth.

"Good to see you again Nora. Now if you excuse me I have a world to conquer." Loki said disappearing.

"Aya." Nora said.

"Split." Aya said teleporting after Loki.

Nora quickly ran towards Phil and put pressure on the wound making him groan.

"Which Nora am I talking to?" Phil coughed out.

"The one you talked off a ledge in Boston." Nora said pressing on the wound tightly. "Hold still, I haven't done this in sixty two years and I'm out of practice." She held on tightly to him before teleporting him to the infirmary.

The appeared in the middle of the room making everyone shout in surprised.

"Are you all going to stand there and stare or are you going to help?" Nora said.

"We need to move him." One of the doctors said.

"We're going to need six units of O neg and a portable bypass machine." Nora said.

"You don't have…" The doctor started.

"Shut up and let the woman work." Phil groaned.

"The blade went straight through and tore through his aorta. They need to get in there and repair that tear but this facility isn't equipped for that surgery." Nora said.

"Were under attack, we can't spare a jet for med evac." The doctor said.

"We don't need a jet. I'll teleport him." Nora said. They all stood there doing nothing. "Move!" Nora shouted snapping them out of their daze.

"We need the bypass machine, all the O neg we've got. We need to move him onto a gurney, let's go!" he said.

Once Phil was stable Nora put his hands on him and quickly teleported him to the closest Shield base better equipped to handle the surgery. She came back to medical just as Clint was being brought in, unconscious on a gurney. Natasha came in after him.

"Hey Nat." Nora said walking past her.

"Nora?" She asked in question before looking at all the blood she was covered in.

"Coulson's." Nora answered walking past her before teleporting to her quarters. Nora stripped out of her clothes and walking into the shower. Scrubbing her skin raw to get the blood out.

 _"It's twenty five thousand or millions." Peggy said._

Nora shut her eyes.

 _"This isn't fair!" A seven year old Tony cried as he watched his Aunt Nora's grave lower into the ground._

 _"Tony behave." Howard whispered harshly._

 _"Aya this isn't right." Nora begged._

 _"It's the way it has to be. Your father ends up without any family in 1992 that includes any aunts." Aya said._

 _"He's a kid." Nora said._

 _"Call it preparation for the future." Aya said._

 _"Let me out Aya." Nora begged._

 _"No." Aya said._

 _"Please." Nora begged._

 _"You had your time, now it's mine." Aya said pushing Nora back to the darkest depths of her mind._

"No, no no!" Nora screamed as be punched the wall of the shower cracking it. By then the water had gotten cold and the blood was gone. She quickly turned it off and grabbed a towel. She got dressed and teleported to her office. She inputted the code and opened the safe. After throwing out all the old files and putting the gin in the drawer she pulled out the false bottom and reached in to pull out what she needed.

Nora closed her eyes and focused on Aya. She felt the surge of temporal energy that followed her and teleported to her.

 **In the Control Room-**

Steve, Tony, and Fury are gathered at a table. Hill stood to the side as Aya walked in.

"He got away. There was a jet waiting for him." Aya said.

"Where's Coulson?" Hill asked.

"Last time I saw him, Nora was helping stabilize him." Aya said.

"Nora?" Tony asked.

"Loki used the scepter to separate us." Aya said. "I went after him, she stayed with Coulson."

"Romanoff?" Fury asked as she walked in.

"Hostile's are being transferred to containment and waiting to be interrogated." Natasha said.

I'll save us all some time and…" Aya started before suddenly she stopped talking and flew into a chair.

"That's enough." Nora said walking in.

"How did you…" Aya started.

"I've been stuck inside the back of your head for over thirty years Aya. I picked up a few tricks." Nora said.

"Nora?" Tony said.

"Hi Dad." Nora said. Tony stood up and hugged his daughter.

"You are so grounded." Tony muttered.

"I'm eighty four you can't do that anymore." Nora retorted making him chuckle as they broke apart.

"Hey beautiful." Steve said.

"Hey handsome." Nora said hugging Steve. "I missed you."

"I'm so so sorry." Steve said tearing up.

"It's okay Bucky left all the stupid with you." Nora joked making Steve let out a sad chuckle as kissed the top of her head holding her tight.

"That isn't what you thought when you found out he was alive." Aya said struggling to get up.

"I had sixty five years to get over it." Nora answered.

"Now that the reunion's over, can we get back to work?" Aya said.

"He's in New York." Nora answered. "You guys should get going."

"Yes we should." Aya said.

"We're not going anywhere." Nora told her.

"What?" Steve said hoping he hadn't heard right.

"Nora this is an all hands on deck situation." Fury said.

"He's right kiddo as much as I don't want you involved in this we need all the help we can get and you're the biggest muscle we've got." Tony said.

"Sorry guys but the answer's no." Nora said.

"I don't have time to deal with you tantrums brat." Aya said and Nora lifted her hand up and blasted her back down into her seat.

"We're long overdue for a chat don't you think?" Nora said.

"You really think you can stop me!" Aya shouted making her eyes glow as she stood up and a whirlwind blew through the control room.

Nora didn't move as Aya glared at her. She reached into her pocket before teleporting next to Aya and snapping a gold bracelet into her arm making the wind die down and her eyes stop glowing.

"What the…" Aya started before looking down at her wrist.

"Like I said before, I've been inside your head long enough to pick up a few tricks. I learned a lot about you. Including that enchanted metal made in the heart of a dwarf star at the center of the universe is one of the few things that can contain you." Nora said with a smirk.

"Take it off." Aya growled.

"So that you can take over again? Do as you want for the next century or the rest of time? I let that happen once, I won't do it again." Nora said.

"Take. It. off." Aya ordered.

"No." Nora said.

"Where did you even get it?" Tony asked.

"Took it off a dead Nazi." Nora said casually.

"Nora get it off of me. Aya said trying to get the bracelet off.

"Like I said before we're not going anywhere." Nora said.

"Loki is going to invade earth, we need to go." Aya said.

"No." Nora told Aya.

"Nora she's right." Steve said.

"Then you should all be on your way already." Nora said not taking her eyes off of Aya.

"Kid we're outmatched. It's just me, Spangles, and Romanoff. Thor's probably dead…" Tony started.

"He's a demigod, it'll take a lot more than a crash landing to kill him." Nora said. "And we have a Hulk."

"Banner's who knows where." Steve said. "Not that he could help us anyway."

"Guys, I'm going to make this very clear to all of you. I'm not going anywhere and neither is she." Nora said. "It's you two and the spy assassins or no one at all."

"This isn't any different than any of the battles we fought back in the war." Steve said.

"Not happening." Nora said.

"Why the hell not?!" Fury shouted.

"You want to tell them or should I?" Nora asked Aya.

"Whether or not we're there won't make a difference to the outcome." Aya said glaring at Nora.

"So we lose." Hill said.

"Aya?" Nora asked.

"I don't know." Aya said resigned.

"You're a time traveler." Fury deadpanned.

"I can't deal with this." Tony said storming out.

"Doll…" Steve started.

"I'm not the one that needs a pep talk right now." Nora said pointing at the door. Steve sighed before walking after Tony.

"Why?" Aya said.

"You know why." Nora said.

"You didn't think that the first time around." Aya said.

"It's all a matter of perspective." Nora said.

"And what would that be?" Aya said.

"You know what I'm talking about." Nora said.

"No explain it to me." Aya said.

"You're forgetting your place." Nora said.

"No you are!" Aya shouted.

"I'm not the one that is still holding a grudge from over fourteen billion years ago!" Nora shouted.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Aya said angrily.

"Don't I?" Nora said. "Your siblings, Elian, Baran, Azazel, Kaien, and Elia? You guys had a fight so big you caused the big bang? You decided to go to your own corners of this new universe to stay as far away from each other but somehow you always end up back together. You jump hosts to try and prove them wrong but time and time again you fail?"

"Shut up Nora." Aya said.

"You're the same self centered bitch they said you were. If someone asks you to help it's a no but the instant it's something you want the rules don't matter to you! Even Elian and Elia who despite everything you ever did never turned their backs on you would be ashamed of you right now." Nora said.

"They didn't understand and neither do you!" Aya asked.

"Don't I? You turned me into a mass murderer Aya just to prove a point. You broke me down so bad I tried to off myself. I have done what you asked every single time but none of that matters to you." Nora said.

"Because after all this time you still don't understand." Aya said.

"I just stopped you from interfering in a battle you desperately want to fight in for the simple fact that you get to prove your brothers wrong." Nora said. "You know as well as I do that this isn't our fight. Our fight is back in 2015 with Wren, Aiden and Snow. We were never supposed to be here in the first place."

"That's what this is all about, you wanting to save Wren? You can keep me chained up and locked away in any prison you want but that won't change the fact that he's dying Nora!" Aya yelled as Tony and Steve walked back in the room.

"You think I don't know that?" Nora cried. "You think it doesn't hurt? Of course it does Aya! But what really hurts is that fact that you can save him but you won't lift a finger to save him. Wren deserves better than that."

"Who's Wren?" Tony asked.

"Her housemate." Steve said.

"What? Nora doesn't have a housemate. She doesn't even need one, she doesn't pay rent." Tony said.

"Life isn't fair, get over it!" Aya yelled.

"NO!" Nora yelled blasting Aya out of her seat and getting up. "I'm not going to get over it." Nora said blasting her again. "You and your stupid siblings like to play god." She said throwing another blast. "You toy with people's lives." Nora said slamming her against the wall. "Without a single regard for the consequences. Actions only have consequences when they don't apply to you, is that it?"

"That's enough Nora." Fury said.

"Shut up Nick!" Nora and Aya shouted.

"They do when the consequences don't screw up the time line." Aya said.

"And this isn't messing with the time line?" Nora said.

"It's my family at stake here!" Aya shouted.

"And it's my husband that's dying!" Nora shouted.

"Husband?!" Tony and Steve exclaimed.

"He didn't just help me he helped you too Aya. He gave me a reason to want to go on when I didn't think I had one. He saved our lives more times than I can count. Wren's a good man he deserves better." Nora cried.

"Are you talking about me or you?" Aya said. "You care so much about him but you can't even own up to the fact that you're in love with him because you're too hung up on two men that died seventy years before you even met him!"

"And whose fault is that!" Nora yelled.

"For once in your life why don't you own up to your own mistakes?" Aya said.

"What do you think I've been doing all these years? You made me relive every single one of the worst moments of my life time and time again for some twisted lesson to prepare me for a fight that is your fault to begin with." Nora said. "I've seen what's at stake Aya. I know what the endgame is but there's no point if you're just going to throw it all away because you can't swallow your pride and want to have your ego stroked." Nora said leaving Aya speechless.

"Guys the jet's ready." Natasha said walking in.

"Let's go." Steve said storming out.

"Is Nora…" Natasha started.

"Not her fight apparently." Tony said angrily as he walked out.

"So what you'll just have me save Wren, next you'll want me to save Jess, while I'm at it why don't I go back and save dear old mom." Aya said.

"I never asked you to go back for Jess. I let my mom die Aya and I carry the guilt of that every single day but I understood why it had to happen. Wren can be saved but you don't care." Nora said.

"Of course I care, you really think I would be doing any of this if I didn't?" Aya asked.

"Then why are you interfering now?" Nora asked.

"Because you're not the only one that's going to lose Wren." Aya said.

"What?" Nora asked confused.

"He dies and I'm stuck with you and you're just like them." Aya said.

"How? I'm right here talking you out of what you've stopped me from doing so many times since I met you. You remember when I found out Steve was alive and I wanted to drop everything and go to him. I begged and begged but you didn't let me and that was one of best things that has ever happened to me. I've hated you, and I've feared you but at the end of the day if I had to go back and do it all over again I wouldn't change a single thing because I got the adventure of a lifetime Aya. I didn't have a reason to be afraid anymore because you taught me to be brave and you gave me strength. I met the epic loves of my life. I got to meet my grandparents and my mom. I found my best friend and unconditional love in the last place I ever expected to find it. You've said it yourself, life isn't fair. There's been a lot of bad but there's also been a lot of good and not just for me. Do you really want to risk all of that, the life that we've built on a fourteen billion year old grudge that you don't even really remember that well?" Nora said.

Aya glared at Nora before shutting her eyes and sighing. "The world may actually be ending because you're right. I let my pride and ego get the best of me and I interfered." Aya admitted.

"Well thirty years out of fourteen billion years…" Nora said trying to make her feel better.

"I can't believe I caved, I feel so… human." Aya said shivering.

"I didn't really make it easy for you." Nora said.

"I can't save Wren." Aya said. "I wish I could but I can't."

"I know." Nora said sadly.

"I can however give him more time." Aya said. "Ease the symptoms."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that. I know I will." Nora said. "So where do we go from here."

"We go home… after you say goodbye." Aya said.

"Yeah, we're going to need to figure out a few things before. We spilled a lot of spoilers when we were yelling." Nora said.

"We need to keep your dad and Steve from meddling. He knows you're alive and your dad knows about me." Aya said.

"It's three years," Nora said.

"Tony couldn't shut up about being Iron Man for more than a minute during a press conference." Aya deadpanned.

"We're gonna have to get creative." Nora said.

"Are you two done with your episode of Jerry Springer because there's a nuke headed for Manhattan?" Fury said.

"They have it handled." Aya and Nora said simultaneously.

"Tell them to bring me back some schwarma." Nora said.

"Also I quit." Aya said.


End file.
